[en] Crack initiation and growth in the Charpy V-notch test are investigated for controlled deflections of the specimen applied both by slow bending and by impact. Charpy test specimens were deformed to various deflections, heat-tinted to mark the crack extensions, and broken apart at low temperature to allow measurement of the crack extensions. These measurements provide estimates of crack initiation as defined by various criteria. The loading point at which crack initiation occurs depends on the particular definition being used for ''initiation,'' but in all cases it is well before the maximum load is reached. When initiation is defined as the first observable micro-initiation away from the ductile blunting of the notch root, the experimental results are in good agreement with computer modeling predictions